Improvement in mowing-machjnes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FISK RUSSELL, OF SOUTH BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MOWING-MACHINE.

Specification f'ormingpart of Letters Patent No. 21,777, dated October 19, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FIsK RUSSELL, of South Boston, in the county ot Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved l\Iowing-l\/[achine; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of" this specilication,in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my inven: tion, taken in the line wx, Fig. 2, and looking in the direction indicated by arrow 1. Fig. 2. is a plan or top viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section ot' a portion of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 2, and looking in the directionof arrow 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of mowing-machines in which detached pivoted vibrating or oscillating cutters are used.

The object of the invention is to so arrange the cutters that they will ot'ter no obstruction to the cut grass, but allow the same to pass freely over the linger-bar without the possibil-l ity ot' choking or clogging the cutting device.

To enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, 1 will proceed to describe it.

A represents the main frame of a mower. This frame is of cast metal, cast in a single piece, and its front part, a., is curved, being at right angles with its back portion, b, as shown plainly in Fig. 2.

To the portion b of the main frame A the axle B of the driving-Wheel C is attached. 'This driving-Wheel is 'toothed on its inner periphery, as shown at c, and a pinion, d, which is attached to a transverse shaft, e, on the frame A, gears into c. On the shaft c a bevel-toothed Wheel, f, is placed, and this wheel fgears into a bevel-pinion, g, on the back end of a shaft, h, which is placed longitudinally on the frame A.

D is the inner wheel ot' the frame A. This wheel may be smaller in diameter than the driving-Wheel C, and its hub is placed on a crank, t', which is secured to a socket, j, said socket being fitted loosely on an arm, k, attached to the main frame A. A lever, E, is attached to the crank The front part, a, of

the main frame A is inclined, so that its lower end is in contact with the ground.

To the lower end of the front part, d, of the `main frame a nger-bar, F, is attached by a joint, Gr, said joint being formed of two lugs or ears, l Z, on the ngerbar, in which two pins, m m, in the lowerend of the portion a of the main frame tit. The inner end of the finger-bar projects some distance beyond the lugs or ears l Z, as shown at a", so as to form a support for the bar When the front end of the main frame A is raised. This will be clearly understood by referring to Fig. 3. The nger-bar F and ngers n may be cast in one piece; or the ngers may be made or cast detached and then connected to the iingerbar.

The tinger-bar has a recess or groove, o, made longitudinally in it to receive a bar, H, which is the sicklebar. This bar is connected by a rod, I, with a crank, p, at the front end of the shaft la, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

J represents the cutters, which are of an oval or approximate form, constructed of steel-plate beveled at each side to form cnttin g-ed ges, and placed between the tngersu. The cutters J are permanently attached to hubs or bosses q,-one to each, said hubs or bosses being tted on vertical pins fr, which are fitted in the iinger-bar. The hubs or bosses q are allowed to turn freely on the pins r, and a plate, s, is placed on the finger-bar F, the front edge of said bar having semicircular recesses t formed in it to receive the back parts of the hubs or bosses, (see Fig. 2, in which two cutters, J, are removed and a portion oi' the plate s broken away.) To each hub or boss q arms u are attached, the outer ends of which t in notches 'u in the bar H. By this connection the cutters J are vibrated by the reciprocating movement of the cutter-bar H. Vhen the plates is secured to the linger-bar the cutters J are only exposed. They workon a Hat smooth surface, and as-the cutters are of thin steel-plate no obstruction is offered to the cut grass, and it consequently passes readily over the fingerbar, and the cutters are not liable to become choked or clogged. As the machine is drawn along the finger-bar and sickle, by actuatinglever E, may be raised bodily at any time in order to clear obstructions, the inner end of the iinger-bar retaining it in nearly a horizontal position in consequence of bearing against the under side of the front part, a, of the main frame A,and the finger-bar is allowed to yield, so as to conform to the inequalities of the ground.

I do not claim attaching the Wheel D to a crank, i, placed on en arm, 7c, projecting from the main frame A,for this has been previously done in order to elevate, when necessary, the finger-bar; nor do I claim attachingthe fingerbar to the .main frame by a joint; neither do I claim, separatelyor in themselves considered, the vibrating cutters J, for they have been previously used, although arranged dierently from the plan herein shown and described; but,

FISK RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT C. TAYLOR, HORACE SMITH. 

